Hush Dear, You Were Summoned
by prettynordics
Summary: Ella Fossen had the same dream for over a month. A mysterious man appears and chants something. When she thinks the dreams finally vanish, they reappear, only more violent than ever. A man—the one from her dreams—appears and says he can help her. Soon after, she finds herself tied with this man and his magic.
1. Chapter 1

**Link to the cover image : member_ ?mode=medium&illust_id=6813190 ( pixiv )**

Flashing colors. Dulled tones. Foggy hazes. One by one colors raced around my mind. Feeling the cool air surround me, I shivered. Opening my eyes I saw the night sky overhead. I looked around and became more aware of my surroundings. I found myself in a meadow, lying down in the middle of the single dirt path. The grass looked to be about six inches long, thickly bunched together in a luscious bed. The dirt path to which I sat was barely used from what I could tell, with only a few dents in it. Sitting up, I raised my head. Only now did I realize that it was snowing. It wasn't a storm of sorts, just a flurry of frozen droplets. One fell on my nose. Feeling it melt from my body heat, I scrunched my nose and wiped it off. A gust of wind blew the thin, white material I was wearing around. It was long, covering my legs. The sleeves hung past my hands. I shivered as another breeze came.

I stood up and heard a familiar sound. Walking down the path, I saw figures behind the thick fog. Moving faster and faster, I was able to decipher the calls. It was sheep, three of them. One was a ram, one an ewe, and one a lamb. They jumped around and called out to one another. My eyes followed their trail, stopping when I noticed something peculiar. Feet, a man's feet. Looking up, I saw their entire body. He was dressed in blues and purples, wearing a cloak with furry black material around the neck and a sailor hat. His eyes were shut and I could see the heat rising from his mouth with each breath he took. He swayed slightly, his lips began to move. All I heard was a whisper. He swung out his right arm and held it out to me.

"Kom til meg, bli med meg." Echoed through the brush.

I didn't know what it meant. I blinked and gasped. The dirt path had turned into a meadow, the meadow had turned into a cluster of brush. The man was still there, in the same position as before. The same words left his mouth.

"Kom til meg, bli med meg."

It sounded farther this time. Everything grew blurry, the man vanished. The meadow and brush became a swarm of colors. I was falling again.

My eyes flew open as my heart fluttered like wild. I looked around, I was in my room, I was back home. Glancing at the clock, I sighed. 6:22. I had woken up late again, with only half an hour to get ready. Hopping out of my bed, I stretched and scratched my stomach. I groggily walked to the dresser. Friday today, Saturday tomorrow. Only one more day and I can sleep in. I quickly grabbed an outfit. A pair of black sweatpants and my navy blue NASA t-shirt should be fine. Walking into the bathroom, I stared longingly at the shower. No, if I were to attempt to take a shower I'd definitely miss the bus. I sighed and began to change.

Fully dressed and ready, I headed out the door. Stopping in front of my house, I began to fiddle with the strap of my backpack. My stomach flashed red hot for a moment when I noticed I hadn't put my hair up. I quickly threw down my bag and brought my silvery blonde hair into a ponytail. Once it was tied up, I sighed in relief and put my bag back on. Thank goodness I remembered, we have a lab in chemistry today. If I came with my hair down I could get in trouble. My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the bus' engine.

I walked into the chemistry room and looked around for my friend. After a bit of sifting I found her hugging her backpack while leaning against the table. She must have gotten less sleep then I did. I sat next to her and dumped my bag on the floor. I looked over and shook her shoulder gently. Nothing. I sighed. Of course Nia had to be a deep sleeper. I shook her shoulder once more, getting the same results. I had no choice, leaning forward I whispered into her ear, "The British are coming."

In a moment her eyes fluttered open, immediately giving me a glare. "Really, Ella?"

I smirked and nodded. "You bet."

She shook her head and stretched, just in time for the teacher to come in and explain the lab to us. I had studied the equipment and had most of the periodic table memorized, so I think I'll do fine. At least, those are the things she told us to study. Nevertheless, I was prepared. Though I wasn't so sure about Nia. She was smart, but she never really put her skill to the test. She just went along with whatever and hoped for the best. Luckily, we were partnered together, so I could help her out if she needed me. More importantly, she could help me.

Though, the only problem with us being partnered together was that we talked a bunch. Yes, we finished our work, correctly too, but we made sure to chit chat our way through the whole thing. Not much of it was about the project either.

"You had that dream again? Did anything different happen this time?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, it was the exact same."

She knit her brows together and huffed. "You know, it probably means something."

I grabbed the beaker and placed it on the scale. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's just, on all those shows and stuff people say that reoccurring dreams usually have a meaning." She said, while recording the measurements.

Apparently we had been caught by the teacher.

"Nia, Ella, quit talking and do your work!" She called.

"Yes, ma'am!" We called to her.

After the long day of school, I was finally able to go home.

After a long day, I was finally able to sleep.

When I went to sleep, I saw nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Flashing colors. Dulled tones. Foggy hazes. One by one colors raced around my mind. Feeling the cool air surround me, I shivered. Opening my eyes I saw the night sky overhead. I looked around and became more aware of my surroundings. I found myself in a meadow, lying down in the middle of the single dirt path. The grass looked to be about six inches long, thickly bunched together in a luscious bed. The dirt path to which I sat was barely used from what I could tell, with only a few dents in it. Sitting up, I raised my head. Only now did I realize that it was snowing. It wasn't a storm of sorts, just a flurry of frozen droplets. One fell on my nose. Feeling it melt from my body heat, I scrunched my nose and wiped it off. A gust of wind blew the thin, white material I was wearing around. It was long, covering my legs. The sleeves hung past my hands. I shivered as another breeze came.

I stood up and heard a familiar sound. Walking down the path, I saw figures behind the thick fog. Moving faster and faster, I was able to decipher the calls. It was sheep, three of them. One was a ram, one an ewe, and one a lamb. They jumped around and called out to one another. My eyes followed their trail, stopping when I noticed something peculiar. Feet, a man's feet. Looking up, I saw their entire body. I gazed at the figure for a moment before feeling an aching pain in my side. I placed my hand on it. At my own touch, I flinched. Ignoring the presence of the man before me, I lifted up the thin cloth, revealing a large bruise on my side from the bottom of my breast to the bottom of my rib cage. Lurching in pain, I saw a thin trail of fresh blood appear across my stomach. Another scratching sensation came, this time more painful. Three dark red lines appeared diagonal to the previous single. Droplets began to collect within the wounds and trail downwards. I cried out for help, only to have the man chant once more.

"Kom til meg, bli med meg." He called out, more demanding than before.

"I don't understand!" I shouted, desperately trying to get his attention.

With great force, I was shoved to the ground, and when I opened my eyes, I was back home. In my bed. It was only a dream.

Sitting up, I began to rub my temples. I thought the dream was gone, I never would expect anything like this to happen. It had gone from surreal and eerie to absolutely terrifying. Shaking my head, I hopped out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. Looking at the fridge, I noticed a note. I yanked it off and read it.

_Ella-_

_Your father and I were invited to a work_

_banquet a couple states over. I would have_

_told you beforehand, but we only just found_

_out this morning, your grandmother will_

_be here around five to make dinner and_

_check in on you. We'll be home in three days_

_Take care._

_Love,_

_Mom_

I sighed; they were always going off without me. I guess this time was no different. It would be nice to see Gramma again, at the least. I shuffled my way over to the cupboard and pulled out a box of cereal. Nothing cures bad dreams better than a nice, big bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Once my breakfast was made, I sat down in the living room and flipped on the TV. The history channel was on, some show about WWII. That would have to do for now, it's not like I'm against history or anything. As soon as I took my first bite of cereal, the phone rang. Of course, I could never relax on my day off. Jumping up, I ran to the wall and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey Ella, what's up?"

I recognized the voice as Nia's and began to twirl the cord around my fingers. "Nothing much man, just watching TV. What about you?"

"Hmm? Oh, the same. Just wondering if you wanted to hang out later today." She said.

"Sorry, I can't. My parents are out on a trip and my Gramma is coming over later. Maybe next weekend."

"Damn," She said, clicking her tongue for a moment, "Well, anything exciting happen besides that?"

"Nothing much, well except that dream."

"Oh, you had it again?"

"Yeah, but it was more like a nightmare. Everything went crazy, I started bleeding and I fell to the ground." I said, leaning against the wall as I did so.

"Well, maybe it means you have inner demons. That's probably the whole reason for this; your conscience was trying to tell you something."

"Oh yeah, like what?" I said teasingly.

The line was quiet for a moment before she burst out with, "You forgot to do something!"

I huffed at her and replied, "Really, Nia? That's all you can come up with?"

She whined a bit. "Come on, I haven't actually taken psychology classes yet, don't blame me!"

I chuckled a bit, she always pulled that out. "You study it alone, don't you?"

"That's different, no one can help me alone." She said.

I hear papers shuffle around. I sighed. "Nia, aren't you supposed to be doing your homework?"

She went completely blank for an answer. "Uh, well you see, I.."

"Goodbye, Nia." I said, hanging up.

I didn't want to be the one to hold her up. She always liked to do that, call people and use that as an excuse to why she never finishes. Not this time. I walked back over to the couch and sat down. Grabbing my cereal again, I noticed that it had gotten a bit soggy from sitting in the milk. Not that I minded, that was actually my favorite part. Kicking my feet up, I watched the show.

Gramma arrived around six. It was like her to be late, especially when she picked up food. She always told my parents she would cook something, but only I knew that she absolutely hated cooking, and would get out of it at any chance. I opened the door for her, bowing and leading my hand inwards. She bowed and walked in, laughing.

"Welcome to my humble abode, I hope it pleases you." I said, slapping on a British accent.

She did the same. "Your dwelling shall suffice."

"Oh, nice wording there." I said, shutting the door.

She placed the bags down on the table, allowing me to get a view and notice the familiar arch.

"McDonald's, the king of fast food." She said.

We ate and talked and tried to come up with new jokes, to no avail. Gramma was always fun to talk to, she never acted like your typical old lady. She always made sure to keep up with whatever was going popular and talk about it. Though, the conversation about twerking was that of a nightmare. She always made sure to make me laugh. I was always smiling around her, it was like her own was infectious. She was more of a mother to me than my own mom. I'd never tell that to either of them, but it was true.

After she left, I crawled into my bed and grabbed my lab top out from under it. Opening it, I logged in and began to scroll through the few sites. Tumblr, Pixiv, a blank Google tab, and one with 'Bubblegum Bitch' playing. Yeah, Marina and the Diamonds was a favorite of mine. I had to admit it. After a while of listening to it, I noticed myself shaking around to the beat. Setting my lab top down on my bed, I stood up and began to dance to it. I really love being alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Flashing colors. Dulled tones. Foggy hazes. One by one colors raced around my mind. Feeling the cool air surround me, I shivered. Opening my eyes I saw the night sky overhead. I looked around and became more aware of my surroundings. I found myself in a meadow, lying down in the middle of the single dirt path. The grass looked to be about six inches long, thickly bunched together in a luscious bed. The dirt path to which I sat was barely used from what I could tell, with only a few dents in it. Sitting up, I raised my head. Only now did I realize that it was snowing. It wasn't a storm of sorts, just a flurry of frozen droplets. One fell on my nose. Feeling it melt from my body heat, I scrunched my nose and wiped it off. A gust of wind blew the thin, white material I was wearing around. It was long, covering my legs. The sleeves hung past my hands. I shivered as another breeze came.

I stood up and heard a familiar sound. Walking down the path, I saw figures behind the thick fog. Moving faster and faster, I was able to decipher the calls. It was sheep, three of them. One was a ram, one an ewe, and one a lamb. They jumped around and called out to one another. My eyes followed their trail, stopping when I noticed something peculiar. Feet, a man's feet. Looking up, expecting to see the man, I was surprised to see that there was absolutely nothing there. I looked about, waiting for him to appear out of thin air like he usually seemed to, but he never did. I walked and walked, feet getting cold from stepping on the fresh morning dew. A breeze brushed past my ear, causing a familiar sound to come to me.

"Kom til meg, bli med meg." Was called, almost a whisper.

Turning around, I noticed the glowing of the fire, the heat of the flame, and the presence of the man. He was in the middle of the flames, though he seemed to be unharmed by them, almost as if he was immune to the heat. My body began to move towards the flame, each step closer I felt the flames reach out their silky hands, trying to grab me. They billowed outward, stroking my smooth skin, leaving a burning sensation. No matter what I did, I couldn't move. My legs kept pushing me closer and closer, though my mind was straining to do the opposite. I heard the crackling of the brush and saw the glowing of the embers. My skin was burning, I wanted to scream, yet my mouth wouldn't open. All at once my vision flashed to black.

Opening them, I looked around. I was home, I was in bed, it was only a dream.

I just want these dreams to stop.

It's been a little over a month of them being this violent. I wish they would have stayed the way they used to be, creepy and nice. Now they were murderous. I woke up screaming most of the time, my parents began to worry. Eventually, I just stopped sleeping. I would pass out in classes. The dreams continued there too, after a while I would end up screaming in class. People thought I was crazy, the principal threatened to kick me out if I kept it up. I couldn't help it. I could really feel the things happening, the shouts of that stupid phrase, the tortuous happenings. If they didn't stop soon, I fear I might go insane.

Mom and dad left again. They said it was a mini vacation. They didn't take me like usual. So I sat in the living room, with every light in the house on and the TV blaring loud. I can't fall asleep any more. I just can't. I put on a Disney movie to calm my nerves. There was something about Atlantis that always made me feel better, I'm not sure what. I heard footsteps and turned my head. Once again, I saw the man.

He was in more modern clothes. Black dress pants, shoes to match, a blue and white striped button up shirt and a red tie. He looked at me for a moment, not saying anything. I don't even remember going to sleep, but I couldn't take this. I ran and backed into the corner, shrieking like a fool. I didn't want fire, I didn't want the cuts, I didn't want anything. What I did want was to sleep peacefully. The man walked over to me, bending down to touch me. I curled up in a ball and began to sob. I heard his voice, much softer than I've heard it before.

"Miss, I'm not here to hurt you."

I looked up at him in disbelief. "Lies, this is a trick, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "No, I swear. I know about the dreams, I'm sorry."

"So, this really isn't a dream?" I asked, while pinching my arm.

I was still here, this wasn't a dream.

He held out a hand and helped me up. I must look like such a mess right now. I haven't slept well in a month, so I had deep bags under my eyes. I looked filthy. He pulled my hand and led me into the kitchen. Why was he here anyways? He must've read my mind.

"I'm here because I was the one who gave you those dreams."

My mouth opened to say something, but words couldn't come out.

"I know, it sounds farfetched, but it's true, I swear. I messed up a spell. Something tells me it's England's fault, he gave me the spell."

Wait did he just say England? "Don't mind me asking, but who are you?"

"Oh, sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I am Norway."

"You're named after the country?"

"I am the country, it's hard to understand. Just accept it and go along with what I say, this will be so much easier."

I nodded off what he said and watched him. He pulled a bottle out of his pocket. It looked really old, and the liquid inside it was a deep red color. He pulled the cork out and handed it to me. I grabbed it and looked at him.

"Drink it. It'll put you to sleep, but you won't dream. While you're asleep I'll be bringing you to England so he can stop the dreams fully."

"Why don't I just walk with you? What if this is poison and you're trying to hurt me."

He sighed. "Just trust me; why else would I be in your dream."

"I guess so." I said, chugging the bottle.

At first I felt nothing, I wasn't sleepy or anything. Norway led me to his car, opening the passenger's side and closing it once I got it. After he got in and turned on the heater, I began to get drowsy. The last thing I remember was turning into a dirt road before I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Opening my eyes, I found myself in a peculiar position. Well, not position, more of place. It was a room with concrete floors and glazed brick walls. There was a fireplace against the wall and across from it a staircase leading upstairs. A table was in the middle of the room, closer to the fireplace actually, with books and papers messily stacked, which all looked old. Two doors were on either side of the fireplace. Hearing footsteps behind me, I jumped and turned around. Seeing the man, Norway, I relaxed.

"So I see you're awake." He said, handing me a cup of coffee.

I took it and thanked him. "Where are we?"

"My dungeon."

I choked on the coffee. "Excuse me?"

He sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you, just go along with what I say."

I nodded. "Well, why are we here?"

"To meet with England. Actually, we're meeting him in about five minutes, it's a good thing you woke up."

"Oh alright."

We finished our cups of coffee, setting them down on the table once we finished. He walked over to the door on the right and beckoned me over. He took a deep breath and placed a hand on the door. Nothing happened. He slid his hand down to the handle and opened it, revealing another room. Walking into it, I noticed it had the same exact settings as Norway's "dungeon," though it seemed a bit tidier, with multiple bookshelves completely filled and covering the walls. He waved me over to a stool.

"Sit here, I'm going to get England."

"Okay."

He went up the stairs and left me in the room, alone. I took this as a chance to look around. The papers were stacked much neater in here than in Norway's. Slipping one off of a pile, I looked at it. It was in some sort of weird language, I couldn't understand a word. Hearing the sound of footprints, I placed the paper back and turned around. Norway was accompanied by, I assumed, England.

I noted that he was around my height, with shaggy yellow hair and bright green eyes. His most eccentric trait, however, had to be the large, furry eyebrows that rested on his face. They made me want to laugh, but I made sure to hold it in, also making sure to not stare, as that would be rude. They walked up to me and stopped.

"This is the girl?" England said.

"Yes, this is her."

He walked up to me and bowed. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry it had to be under such conditions, I'm afraid."

I gave a fake laugh. "Yeah, I guess it would be better to not be meeting over nightmares."

He nodded. "Could you explain them to me? The nightmares, were there any reoccurring things, what type of pain came the most?"

"Oh, well, the beginning was what mainly reoccurred. I walked around, then I saw three goats, then I saw him," I pointed to Norway, "And then they got twisted. I guess the pain that came the most was being scratched and burnt."

His face paled a bit. Turning around, he looked at Norway. "Show me the spell you used."

Norway pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to him. "I mixed the ingredients like you said, then chanted, 'Da mihi mater mea irrumabo assus caseum victo.' Just as the instructions said."

England began to rub his face. "Oh, oh no, no no no.. This isn't good. The directions are right, but the chant is 'Da mihi mater mea irrumabo assus caseum _victus dolium_.' I guess in a rush, I forgot the last part and mixed it up."

"So what does this mean, and how does it connect to her?" This time, Norway was pointing at me.

"The full spell would call upon a new breed of faeries, yes, but without them, it gets mixed up and combines it with a lesser spell. In this case, it combined the faeries with the spell which chooses an apprentice, which you know hasn't been used in over a hundred years. I'm afraid, when they mixed, she, your destined apprentice for this era, was mixed in with the faeries, which were trying to get to you. Though, they could only reach her in her dreams, and when she didn't react at first, they had no choice but to get hasty."

Norway gasped. "You mean to say that the faeries are trapped inside of her?"

England nodded. "I'm afraid so, yes."

They looked over at me. I was beginning to feel sick. How the fuck did faeries get into my head? Why my head? I was more noxious than sick, my legs gave out and I leaned forwards, being caught by Norway. "Get, get them out of me. I want them out, get them out!"

Norway pulled me into a hug, probably to keep me from going into a tantrum. "Shh, please calm down. We will figure this out." He looked over to England, "Do you know how to retract them from her?"

England sighed and walked forward, grabbing a book and flipping through it. "I can, yes, but it won't retract the apprenticeship, that can't be fixed-"

"I don't care about that, just get them out of her for god's sake!"

Clearing his throat, England grabbed my hand. I refused to let go of Norway, but I allowed him that one hand. He took it and grabbed a vile off the desk. Pouring the green and moist substance onto my hand, he spit on it. I gagged and glared at him, to which he just ignored. He grabbed a pestle from a mortar and pestle set and began grinding the substance and his saliva together. Now I felt even worse. Faeries on the inside, a stranger's spit on the outside. Not what I wanted at all.

He placed it back down and sucked into air. He began to chant, "Da mihi assus caseum sandwico."

I felt something inside me jerk.

"Da mihi assus caseum sandwico."

A rushing sensation coming from my heart.

"Da mihi assus caseum sandwico!"

I threw up. Not your usual type either, it was like every ounce of energy in my body was flowing out of me, as if it was being sucked away. Black clouds came out of my mouth, separating into small figures that grew wings and flew into the corners of the dungeon. I was getting weaker, my knees shook. I couldn't stand. With one final jolt, I fell down, slamming my head on the ground in the process.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up in my bed. My head ached and I sighed. I don't even know if it was a dream or not, it was so real, but upon sitting up, I heard a familiar voice, "Don't strain yourself, you hit your head pretty hard back there."

I looked over and saw him sitting at my desk, reading the copy of 'The Giver' that I had lying around. I lay back down. "So that really wasn't a dream, huh?"

He nodded. "It was real."

"So the dreams, the faeries, they're gone?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid the apprenticeship is not."

I furrowed my brow and looked up at my ceiling. "Apprenticeship? For like, that magic stuff you were doing? Why can't we just not, it's not like I have to do anything."

He sighed. "That's not the way magic works, I mean you could forget this ever happened. Move on with your life, go to college, get married, but you'd still be connected to the magical world. That's what the spell does, it bonds our magic abilities together, and it can't be retraced. You're stuck with me, as I am you."

"Wait, so I can do magic like a witch or something?"

He shook his head. "No, a witch can cast spells without tools and actions. That would be sorcery, but this isn't so simple. I'll have to introduce you to Romania as well, he might be of need. You see, we all have a different type of magic we study. England is more into the darker things, messing around with black magic and things of the sort. Me, I'm into the more natural side to magic. As in, spells that use the elements, I also mess with mythological creatures the most, as you know with the faeries."

I nodded and allowed him to continue.

"Romania, he is into the potions and curses from the olden days. We three mess with magic the most out of all the countries, though there are a few that do it every now and then. An example would be that Iceland and America, being mine and England's brothers, they have the ability to use magic, but they don't unless it is needed. Same goes for any other countries related to us."

I sat up, instantly regretting it when the pain shot through me. "So you're saying that, not only do you do magic, but that you are Norway, the actual country, and that there are other countries?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say."

Slinking forwards, I rested my head on my knees. "I'm going crazy."

I heard him stand up along with his footsteps as he walked over to me. He rested a hand on my shoulder. "No, not anymore. The faeries are gone. You've just been introduced to some very new and unusual information."

I scoffed, "You can say that again."

He sighed and sat down next to me on my bed. "This gets worse."

I couldn't believe that. "How can it get worse?"

"You remember how the apprentice spell hasn't been used in over a hundred years, right?"

"Yeah, I think one of you said that." I said, referring to him and England.

"Well, it hasn't been used for a reason. It is part of the reason sorcery and magic have faded off over the years. You see, the spell also triggers a counter-spell, and not a pretty one either."

"Wait, what's a counter-spell?"

"It's when a spell triggers another spell. It doesn't happen often, only with larger spells. It's completely opposite to the spell in every way and tries to attack the good one, along with the sorcerer who cast it. In a previous case, and by previous I mean fifty years ago, a sorcerer in America casted a spell calling multiple muses to him. He wanted them to give him a great idea so he could finish the book he was writing, desperate people do desperate things, but when the muses came, they were immediately driven mad by the presence of a low-level demon. It didn't stop there either. The last we heard was that he crawled into his ventilation system and stayed there until he died. It took a while for the police to find him, as the whole place stunk, but they did."

I was feeling sick again, this happened a lot when around him. "So what would the counter-spell for this spell be?"

"Well, I'm sure nothing happened with the faeries, that's low level magic, but the apprenticeship may hold a problem. You see, with that much magic used, it's able to create. Though the things created are polar opposites and are highly dangerous. The things are us. Well, they aren't us, but they are a copy of us, only different. It's hard to explain. Trust me with this."

I nodded slowly. "And what do I do if I see my opposite?"

He swallowed. "You shouldn't wish to, but if you do, do not stare at them. Don't get their attention. If they speak to you, don't look and don't talk back. Don't run, walk away slowly. Pretend you don't know they are there. If you do, they will attack, they will hurt you, they may kill you."

First faeries in me and now this? My head was spinning, so I laid back down. "Well, what do we do now? We have murderous opposites out after us and I'm now connected to this magic world. Do I stay home or am I going away with you? What's going to happen?"

"That's for you to decide. Also, we'd have to see how long it takes and how strong the creatures that sense you are. If you only speak with sprites and spirits, you should be fine. I'm worried, though. My magic is particularly high as it is, being as old as I am. If your magic ability is even at the normal amount for a beginning apprentice, we could both be in trouble."

I took another deep breath. "So what are we going to do now?"

He began to mess around with his hands. "Well, Ella, I think you should go on with your life normally, I'll stay with you, but at a distance just in case. You will be contacted by creatures everywhere you go. Just be polite and you should be fine. Most every creature will not harm you if you are polite and kind. We just need to see how they react to you. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, I think I can." I realized that that was the first time he called me by name, though I hadn't introduced myself. "Norway, how did you know my name?"

He rolled his eyes. "You should catch on by now. If I am skilled in magic and our abilities have been combined, don't you think I could sense you, that I would know about you?"

That made me a bit uneasy. "Yeah, I guess."

He stood up and headed out the door. "Have a good day at school tomorrow, I'll be watching."

Scratch that, it made me really uneasy.


	6. Chapter 6

After being able to sleep without nightmares for two nights, my sanity was beginning to return. Which also means I was doing better in school, though I had only just gotten back, my teachers could already tell. I wasn't sleeping anymore, plus I was finishing my work quicker. They accepted the previous two months as a phase and brushed it off. They had no idea.

Monday morning Nia and I had made plans to go hiking after school. Since we lived close to a national park, we were able to make plans and set everything up fast. As soon as I got home, I slipped into gym shorts and a baggy tee-shirt, along with an old pair of tennis shoes and grabbed a water bottle. She was out front in no time. I was lucky she got her license this year, otherwise we'd have to wait until the weekend. I hopped in and sighed.

"Nia, I'm so going to beat you this time."

Yes, this wasn't any hiking trip. Nia and I were highly competitive, so we took hiking as a chance to put our skills to the test. At first I would win, but lately Nia has been winning. Not for long. As soon as we reached the park, we picked our trail and shook hands.

"May the fastest person win." She said, smirking.

"You're on."

With that, we were off. Already Nia was beating me, moving farther from me by the minute. I had forgotten that I wasn't a hundred percent recovered from the month full of nightmares. I hadn't raced since they started. Yet I was determined. I kept going, even when I couldn't see Nia. I slowed down. Stopping completely, I listened. I thought I heard something strange. Walking a bit, I heard it again. It was to the right, kind of in the forest.

Now I know it's probably stupid of me to go in there, but the voice was so pretty, I couldn't help it. I went into the forest, so far I couldn't see the trail. I felt a presence behind me and whipped around. She was pretty, it was unrealistic. It wasn't in the way of your average pretty, this was natural and all her own. She was wearing a grey dress that went down to her knees; it was very plain like, though she seemed to make it pop. With a smooth voice she said, "Hello, dear. I sensed you. Are you the new apprentice I've been hearing about?"

"I uh- I- yes, I am."

She began to walk circles around me. "Such a pretty girl you are, I especially like your eyes, that shimmering green, it reminds me of a-" She stopped and placed a hand over her mouth, "What was that again? Oh yes," She continued walking, "They remind me of a lush meadow."

I flinched, being reminded of the dream. Norway said to be polite, I should follow his instructions. "Thank you, I really like your auburn hair, it's really pretty."

She kept on circling me. "Oh, no no no! Dear me, your light blonde hair is simply luscious, the way it seems silver in the sunlight, just gorgeous."

So that's what we were doing, huh? I could go along with this, no problem. "Please, nothing could compare to your wonderful figure, and," I faltered, spotting a cow's tail swishing from underneath her dress, "Your tail?"

She stopped and faced me. "How rude!" She exclaimed.

Her tail flicked out and whipped me across the face. Feeling the burning sensation, I grabbed by face and hissed, "What was that for?"

She looked at me innocently. "What was what for?"

"Why did you whip me with your tail?!"

"Rude!"

She did it again, though my hand was in the way, causing for it to be whipped instead. I got down on my knees and held my face and hand with my free one. "What did I do?"

She huffed. "Hasn't your master taught you any manners? You are just so rude!"

I piped up, "Well it was rude of you to hit a stranger like that, especially a very confused one! Shame on you, ma'am!"

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?" She took a step towards me.

In attempts to back up, I fell on my butt. Great, now I had no way of quickly running off. I was saved, however, by Norway, whom came out of nowhere. He jogged over and stood in front of me.

"I am very sorry, miss. Has she done you some harm?"

The woman pouted. "No, but she was particularly rude."

"Oh my! I am really sorry, I am! She is just an apprentice, you see, and a new one at that. She hasn't yet been taught her manners, she only has those of a normal human."

He seemed to talk a little different when speaking to her. It kind of weirded me out.

"Hm. I guess I can forgive and forget, at a price, of course."

He nodded, "Anything you wish, miss."

She giggled and leaned forwards, kissing him on the lips quickly. "That is all I want, thank you, my good sir!"

"Not a problem."

She skipped off into the forest, tail swishing back and forth as she did so. He turned around and held out his hand. I grabbed it and he pulled me up.

"So, what the hell was that?"

He began to walk, I followed him. "A huldra, and what did I tell you about being rude?"

"I wasn't rude, she had a tail!"

He groaned. "Mythical creatures are very sensitive when it comes to those things. Pointing out her tail hurt her feelings, don't you have any common sense?"

"Sorry."

He shook his head. "It's fine. At least you were lucky in the form of huldra, that was a Norwegian one. They aren't as murderous as the Swedish and Danish ones. You also lucked in it being a huldra and not a huldu, which would be interested in killing woman. Though this did give me a chance to see what you are attracting and how they are acting. All in all, I don't think this went to bad."

"Yes, sir."

We reached the path and stopped.

"Don't call me sir, I'm your friend here, okay? Call me Norway or Norge, either one."

"Okay, fine. So do we keep waiting to see other creatures?"

He looked around, seeing if any people were coming. "Yes, that would be best. Nothing dangerous has come, but it is only the second day of us meeting, so we should stay this way to be sure."

"Alright. I guess I can put up with being followed for a bit longer."

"Good, keep an eye out. Go back to your friend, you're way behind." He said, heading in the opposite direction.

I sighed and began running once more. Of course, when I finally reached the end, which was just the beginning since the trail looped around, I had lost. Nia seemed a bit worried that I was gone for that long, but I told her not to worry and that I had only stopped to view the scenery. We got into the car and drove off. Though, I could have sworn I saw a tail appear between two trees as we did.


	7. Chapter 7

It's been a week. I haven't talked to or seen Norway since the incident with the huldra. I'm not even sure if he's still there. The only things I have seen have been a few faeries that giggled at me and flew away, which really didn't help. I was starting to miss him, well not really him, but the thought of something exciting happening in my life.

I kicked a rock as I walked lazily to my house. Another tiring day at school. Fifteen is way too young to be this stressed over school. I began to roll my head around, satisfied when I heard tiny pops. I stopped when I saw a kid next to my door. I jogged over and called to him, "Hey, what's up?"

He didn't say anything. I passed him and looked at him eye to eye. I felt an instant shock and a feeling of dread waved over me. His eyes, they were pitch black, even on the white parts, it was just a cloudy black color. I put on a fake smile as fast as I could, making sure to remember Norway's advice. Be polite. Don't point anything obvious out. His skin was pale, he wasn't wearing any shoes and his clothes were filthy.

"Hello? Can I help you, little boy?"

He gave me no expression. "Can I come in?"

No, no you can't come in. There was a slamming 'NO' in my mind. I couldn't let him in, but would that be considered rude? Would he get angry, would Norway get angry if I told him no? The child seemed impatient, though it wasn't shown in his voice.

"Can I come in?"

I swallowed, hoping he couldn't sense my fear. I decided to go with my gut. "No, I'm sorry. You should go home now."

"I don't have a home."

He started swaying a bit, his eyebrows knit together in frustration. Even if he was homeless, he had to have somewhere to go. The negativity in my mind was swirling, I started to feel tired.

"I'm sorry, but you can't come in."

"Can I come in?"

I was starting to get angry, scary black eyes or not, if anyone was being rude, it was him. "No you may not come in, go away!"

I pulled my key from my pocket and slammed it into the hole. Once the door was unlocked, I walked in. He looked at me. "Can I come in?"

He walked forwards and tried to walk in, slamming against an invisible force. That was my cue for a definite 'no.' I looked him straight in the eyes and said flatly, "NO."

Slamming the door shut and locking it, I slid down and pulled my knees to my chest. Where was Norway? The one time I really needed him, he didn't come. I heard some shuffling as the kid walked off, probably to ask someone else. I sighed and took a few deep breathes. When I heard a knock on the door, my breath hitched. I jumped up and looked through the window. Seeing Norway, I sighed and opened it as fast as I could.

"Norway, where the hell were you? Did you see that.. that thing!?"

He walked in and shut the door. "Yes, I saw it. Thank god you didn't let it in."

"What was that?"

He began to pace around the living room. "That, was something bad. Something very, very bad. It's new, so we don't know how to defeat it or stop it. It won't talk to us about anything besides wanting to come in and not having a home."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's all he mentioned."

"We're guessing it wants to come in your body. As is, taking control of it. Though we aren't a hundred percent on that, we are sure it is a menace."

"Does it have a name?"

"Ah, yes. We've been calling them the 'black eyed kids.'"

I rolled my eyes. "Very original."

"No time for sarcasm, this isn't going as I wished. Those things, though they may seem harmless, are very strong. I don't know how, but they found you. You are going to have to come with me."

No, that didn't sound very appealing. "Wait, what? What about my parents and my friends?"

He stopped and looked at me, his face dead serious. "They can't know where you are. If the black eyed children are trying to contact you, I'm sure other things are as well. If you don't tell them, they won't be harmed."

I guess, if it meant protecting the ones I love, I could leave, but this sounded suspicious. "How can you be so sure they won't be harmed?"

He sighed. "They are after you, not them. Plus, you won't be allowed contact with them when you leave, so they won't know anything for the creatures to want."

My stomach was fluttering, my legs were weak. "Don't I get to say goodbye first?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. You can't. Pack some clothes, fast. We have to leave."

I ran into my room and threw my bag down. I dumped it out and began to throw random clothing into it. I wasn't sure what I needed exactly, so I got a good amount of everything. Once it was filled and I couldn't fit anything else in, I grabbed a smaller purse and got my hygienic things. Deodorant, toothbrush, things of the sort. After I was sure I had gotten everything, I ran into my parents room. Grabbing a pillow from there bed, I was ready.

I walked into the living room and looked at Norway. He grabbed my backpack and led me outside. I got into his car and choked down some tears. I was not going to cry in front of him. This was all so sudden. He hopped in and started the car.

We stopped at an old inn about an hour later and got out. When we walked inside, the concierge nodded to him, to which he nodded back. He took a right and led me down a hallway. At the end was a mahogany door, with ivy carved into it. He placed his hand on the door. This time, instead of nothing, I saw a burst of blue light. It vanished as quickly as it came and he slid his hand down. He opened it and we walked in.

It was different in here, colder and darker. I noticed that we were in a kitchen. The air smelled of sweet treats, which came from the cookies I spotted a moment later. He grabbed the plate and offered me one. I took one and thanked him. I nibbled on it as we walked into the living room. I blushed when I saw that there were four other people here. They looked at us, more at me than anything.

The man with wild hair and a tiny hat jumped up and ran over to me, pulling me into a hug that lifted me off the ground. "HEY, GUYS, LOOK! IT'S A GIRL. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? NORGE HAS A GIRLFRIEND!"

He was very loud, and it hurt my eardrum when he spoke. Norway punched his shoulder and glared at him. "Cut it out, Den. Leave the girl alone."

He sat me down. He looked at me and grinned. It didn't take me long to figure this one out. He had an accent similar to Norway's but a bit different, match that with him just being referred to as 'Den' and I think I have an answer. "Don't tell me, Denmark?"

He laughed and hugged me again, this time receiving a slap to the back of the head. "Dammit, Denmark. I told you to cut it out. She just went through some things, leave her alone."

He set me down once more. Instantly, he had a saddened expression. He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it, turning to the three other men. "Girlie, I'd like to introduce you to Finland," he pointed to the smiling blonde, "Sweden," this man had a straight expression that kind of creeped me out, "and Iceland," He seemed to be about my age.

Actually, I remember Norway mentioning him before. "Iceland, as in Norway's little brother?"

He frowned and crossed his arms, "Don't get him started on that again."

Norway was behind him in a flash. "Call me big brother. Call me big brother."

"I will not!"

I chuckled at the two and walked over to Finland. I reached out my hand, "Hi, I'm Ella."

He grabbed it in his, which was surprisingly warm and soft. "Nice to meet you!"

He seemed particularly happy. Comparable to Denmark, if I do say so myself. I looked at Sweden and waved. "Hi!"

He nodded and grunted.

Okay then. I looked at Denmark who was watching the two brothers argue.

"Call me big brother!"

"NO!"

I called over them. "Not to be rude, but could you cut that out? I have a headache."

They stopped and Norway looked at me. "Of course."

Norway told them that I needed some rest, as I wasn't used to the time zones here yet. It was only seven at night back home, but after a long day, I think I needed rest. He led me to a room and went back downstairs, after showing me where the restroom was. I dropped my stuff on the ground and slipped my shoes off. Crawling into bed, I sighed. I just wanted to sleep and forget everything right about now.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up to sunlight beaming on my face. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and stretched. Loud noises came from downstairs, followed by the slam of a door. I got up and headed towards the living room. Norway stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed and steaming with anger. He looked at me and his face softened a bit.

"I didn't hear you come in. How long were you in here?"

"I just walked in. What was all that noise?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing, I'll tell you about it later. Come in the kitchen and eat something, we have things to do today."

I followed him into the kitchen and snacked on a leftover biscuit. Apparently I had slept through breakfast. After I finished, he told me to get dressed and put my shoes on. We were to meet in the backyard. I nodded and got to it.

Fully dressed and ready, I headed out. I found him and walked over towards him.

"Hey, what's up?"

He looked at me. "Nothing yet. Come on."

He led me through the woods that were behind his yard. I made sure to keep close, in fear of seeing another huldra. We were deep in there, I couldn't see the smoke from the house anymore, but he kept walking, and I kept following. We stopped in a small clearing and he motioned for me to sit on the log next to him. I did so and began to look at the scenery. A breeze ran through the trees, causing them to brush together and create a hushing sound.

Norway whispered, "Do you see them?"

I tried to look at what he was talking about, but saw nothing. "See what."

"There, look in front of that tree." He pointed to an old oak tree.

My eyes skimmed around it, but I still saw nothing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He sighed. "Look at one particular part of the tree, look closely and watch."

I did so, and after a while of looking, I gasped. There, staring at me with small, brown eyes was a girl. She was small, and seemed to blend into the tree where she stood. I could see her outline, but I couldn't actually see her, it was crazy. I smiled weakly at her. She smiled back. When she closed her eyes again, she was gone.

"N- Norway what was that?"

"That was a dryade, a nymph of the trees. They are harmless, so you shouldn't worry."

I scooted closer to him. "Are there any more of those, nymphs, is it?"

He nodded. "If you look close enough, they're everywhere."

I shivered and dropped my gaze to a nearby bush. Keeping my eyes on the same place for a few minutes, I saw her. She looked like the other girl, yet there was something different about her. She smiled and I saw it, sharpened teeth, which looked as if they could kill a man with one bite. I clung onto Norway's arm. He leaned over me and looked at her.

"Not now, stop it." He said.

She frowned and was gone, blending back into the bush.

"And that was?"

"A napaiai, a nymph of the forest. Also harmless, but they liked to scare people."

I decided to not look at the forest anymore; too many things were staring back at me. Norway stood up and took a couple steps forward. Turning back, he looked at me.

"Ella, stay here, okay? They nymphs won't hurt you, I promise. There's something I have to check."

He jogged off without another word, leaving me here alone. Looking at the bush once more, I saw the napaiai, smiling at me with her razor sharp teeth. I shuddered and looked to the ground. Not even a full five minutes later, I heard Norway calling for me. I jumped up and headed towards his voice, happy to leave the nymphs.

The brush grew thicker and thicker, his voice louder and louder with each step I took. Stepping out from the brush, I was in another clearing. This one was a bit darker, it being that the surrounding trees were taller. I spun in a circle and looked for Norway.

"Norge, where'd you go?"

I stopped when I saw something very discomforting. An old man was staring at me. His clothes were ragged and dirty, his white beard was tangled while the top of his bald head was sun burnt. He had the brightest of green eyes I had ever seen, and his skin was extremely pale. He smiled at me and took a step forward, using his wooden club to help him walk. He gave me a toothy grin.

"What's a girl like you doing deep in the forest?" I took a step back, every thought blanking from me. The only thing I heard was to run. He whistled a small tune and I stopped. He chuckled. "Are you going to answer me?" I was still at loss for words, I didn't reply. He clicked his tongue. "Well be that way then."

He whistled the same tune once more. I took a step forwards and he laughed, repeating the tune again. I took two steps. I opened my mouth and screamed.

He pouted and shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that, girl."

He shifted, growing from five foot to seven. I bit my tongue to keep myself from screaming again. His skin was now a deep blue, his beard changing to a forest green color, and his eyes now had dark circles surrounding him, yet they stayed their emerald green. He had two large horns on the top of his head, pointed and slightly curled. He was terrifying. A rustling was heard from the bush, and a tail swished through them. It vanished just as fast as I came. The creature hadn't noticed.

The tail came once more, this time with his notice. He looked over to it and grunted. More of a snarl, actually. When it came once more, he made a stomping motion. It flicked away. I could tell he was getting agitated; it wasn't that hard to see.

"Go away, snake!"

This time, the figure revealed their self fully. I recognized it as the huldra I had met only a week before. She pouted and called to him, "How rude!" I was more than happy to see her, though I made sure not to show it. She stopped in front of him and pointed her tail at him. "What are you doing with that girl?"

He snarled once more, "What business is that of yours?"

She huffed. "That is my human, you leave her be!" He laughed whole heartily at this. "You having a human? Oh please, you're just a simple huldra!"

Another rustling. This time Norway came out. I made a choking sound and ran over to him, hugging him tightly. He pushed me off and stood in front of me.

"Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?"

His voice seemed more demanding than it usually was around these creatures. The beast faltered, looking a bit overwhelmed. "Nothing, I was just showing her the way back."

The huldra giggled. "He's lying!"

Norway's eyes narrowed. "The deal is off, you may leave now."

The beast looked angered. "You can't do that, we have a contract!"

"The contract has been terminated, on account of you attempting to damage my property."

It growled at him, "You'll rue this!"

Norway lifted his hand, a flow of blue light came from it and shot at the beast. In an instant, he was gone, releasing a puff of smoke. He looked over at the huldra. "Thank you, I believe I owe you in return for stalling him?"

She stroked her chin for a second. "Hmm, let's see. Oh, you could let me stay in these woods!"

He shook his head. "You mustn't harm anyone here, more importantly my brothers. I can't see you being able to go without that."

She held her arms around her back and swung herself in a circular motion. "Come on, give me a chance! It's way better here than back in that park! Besides, the people here seem to be so courteous."

He sighed. "Fine, but one casualty and you'll be back in hell with that leshy."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, sir." Turning around, she vanished into the brush.

We headed back home, without a word being spoken, though I felt inclined to thank him. I waited until we were back inside and fully settled. He was sitting on the couch, relaxing after a long day. I walked up and sat next to him. I cleared my throat.

"Thank you for saving me earlier."

He shifted. "No, I'm sorry for leaving you like that. It was a stupid mistake. I apologize."

I looked down at the floor. "You said that was a leshy, right?"

"Yes, do you want me to explain that too?"

I nodded. "If you don't mind, please."

"A leshy is a demon, a forest being. He serves the purpose of making sure the forest stays on track. The animals stay safe and hibernate when needed, forest fires are prevented, things of the sort. They have a tendency to kill young maidens and lone travelers."

"Oh."

He nodded. "It's alright for now, the nymphs can keep things controlled for the time being." He looked at me. "I really am sorry, I've made you leave your family already, now I'm endangering your life."

"It's alright, this was entirely an accident. I forgive you."

He gave me a small smile, and I returned the gesture. This may be dangerous and terrifying, but at least I have someone who cares. At least, I think he cares.


	9. Chapter 9

This time, Norway decided it would be best to do more water-based training. Apparently, he had very good connections with any and all water creatures, so it would be the safest to practice this first. So we hopped in his car and headed to a lake. It took a while, since it was in a secluded area, but it was worth it. The water was chill to the touch and was clear enough to where I could see the rocks on the bottom. They looked smooth, like those ones you'd find as a kid and bring home, then paint. I rather enjoyed the lake. Norway seemed to notice this.

"Having fun there?"

I smiled in his direction and nodded. "It's beautiful!"

"Thank you."

He began to scan the coast for other people or boats. When he saw nothing, and heard nothing, he decided it was time. He inserted his pinkies into his mouth and blew. The sound was high pitched and it made my ears ring, so I held onto them for dear life, hoping it would end soon. He couldn't be human, and I already knew that to some extent he wasn't, but this was just ridiculous. Finally, he stopped. When he backed up, I grew worried.

"Nor-"

"Ella, get back!"

He grabbed my hand and yanked me away from the shoreline. Then, as if on cue, a large wave appeared. This wasn't the beach, so where was this even coming from? It crashed, throwing Norway and I onto the ground, nearly drowning me. Choking up the water, I tried to see where the wave came from, but it seemed as if everything was dark. Had I passed out? Norway brought his hand to mind and grabbed it.

"Don't move." He whispered.

My breath got shaky. After all, it wasn't night time, but a Loch Ness Monster. I kept my eyes down, making sure to seem dismissive. If I did, it might ignore me and swim away. Oh, wait, Norway had called it here. He slowly stood up and began to tiptoe to it. The beast shook its head, but otherwise did nothing. Its dark eyes kept focused on Norway, with every step he took, the creature seemed to get more and more cautious.

"Shhh," He cooed, "It's fine, it's just me, Norway, you remember me right?" He slowly began to walk into the water, his arm reached out towards it. The beast made a wail and lowered its head. Norway took this chance to pet it. It seemed like it was purring, but I wasn't going to fall for it that fast. With a grin, I could see its teeth, sharp, razor tipped with a pearly white gleam. Norway was crazy.

He looked over at me and waved his arm. "Hey, come on, just walk slowly. You'll be fine."

I shook my head. "No, hell no."

He locked his jaw and hissed through his teeth. "Ella, she will be offended if you don't, come here now."

From experience, I knew this was a bad crime to commit amongst the magical world. So, sucking in all the fear I had, I took a step forward. This time, the gleaming coals were set on me. I just kept my eyes on Norway, ignoring it and hoping it wouldn't take offense. When my shoes touched the water, I stopped to take them off. Norway hadn't, so I'm guessing his were soaked. I sighed, remembering that I was soaked anyways. Might as well keep them on.

When I was aside Norway, he grabbed my hand and stroked it down the beast's neck. "Be sure to pet her with her scales, not against. She may get hurt if you do."

I did as he said, making sure to move slowly as not to startle her. "Norway, why do you keep calling it a she?"

He shook her head. "Shh, she is a being, therefore she is a she."

"Well does she have a name?"

"Yes, it's Selma. This is Lake Seljord, her home."

Selma waddled to the side, so that we were out of arm's reach once more. Waddled was too kind of a word, we were dunked under the water. This time, Norway grabbed me and pulled me up before I could swallow any of the water. He held onto my waist with one arm and paddled with another. I was gasping for breath, yet the waves were still high.

Norway yelled out, "Nøkken! Nøkken!"

Something grabbed the back of my shirt. I was pulled away faster than I could understand what was happening. The speed of it made me dizzy, and now, looking around, I see that we are in the very middle of the lake. The water was no longer see through, with smooth childhood rocks, but now an inky color with the feeling of being stranded hanging over me. Luckily, Norway was still holding onto me, though more tightly then before.

A small tune came to my ears. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, like a violin. "Norway, do you hear that? It's so pretty."

He was jerking his head in any and every direction. "Cover your ears, don't listen!"

"Why? It's so nice!"

"Cover them!"

My heart raced when I saw a head pop out of the water. He smiled. With no hair and no eyebrows of any sort, with the addition of being out this far, he was like a nightmare, and knowing what usually happens around Norway, he probably was. In an instant, the head was gone once more. Norway seemed more urgent than ever. "Ella, please, cover your ears!"

I did as he told, but the violin wouldn't go away. It seemed to grow louder and louder. My head was dunked under. I reached out for Norway and grabbed his hand, but he was only dragged down with me. Looking to see what had a hold on me, I was met eye to eye with the bald man. Only now, I saw his whole body. He was wearing a red robe, with a gold sash. He gave me another smile, and this time, I saw teeth. Razor sharp, pitch black. Selma hadn't been a nightmare, this was.

Norway pulled himself to my level, holding me into a hug. He held a hand out to the creature, and a blue light began to trickle out of his palm. It then radiated light, and heat, which didn't feel too bad. The creature now had a whole through his heart, but what was seen during the flash was worse. They were pretty, no doubt, but they had his teeth. Mermaids, with long hair, black eyed, and a mean demeanor.

Kicking with all my might, I tried to pull us to the top. Norway took hint and joined me. We resurfaced with two big gasps. My head was beginning to feel light, I wanted to sleep. He pulled me closer to him, in order to place his pinkies back in his mouth. He whispered a quick apology before whistling once more. This time, my ear burned. I couldn't hear anything but the sound, even after he removed his hands.

Another wave came. I wanted to cry. It was nonstop, and I just wanted to sleep. When I noticed a scaly surface on the brim of the wave, I let out a choke of relief. I never thought I would be so happy so see that scaly beast, but here I am, only a few minutes later. She opened her mouth and raced towards us, scooping us in her mouth. She swam away. I felt safe, noticing how she arched her tongue in a way where we couldn't even go near her throat if we tried.

She raced onto the shore, spitting us out and making a mixture of a bouncing and waddling action back into the water. She made a hissing sound and dove. I took this time to cough up the water that filled my lungs and lay down, trying to keep myself from being sick.

When I was able to breath, I spoke my mind. "Norway, what the hell was that? I thought you said that water creatures were your friends?"

He was rubbing his temples, trying to think over what happened. "I am-"

"Then what was all that?!"

He sighed. "I don't know, listen, if I did I would tell you," I kept quiet; "I'm going to have to check this out alone, of course. Something is off, they have never attacked me like that before."

I rolled over onto my side and shivered. "Where am I going then?"

"Either to stay with Iceland, or with one of my comrades in magic." He crawled over to me and gave me a quick hug. "I'm sorry this happened again, I'll check things out and see what is happening."

I groaned, "I can't forgive you all that easily this time."

"I understand. I should try and make it up to you some other time, but for now, we should get home and see if we can get into some warm clothes with something hot to eat before you get sick."

He stood up and reached a hand out to me. I grabbed it and got up, wincing when I noticed how soar my muscles were. "I may have to lie down for a while, I feel like I'm going to faint."

"Come on, my car is just up the hill, you can sleep in there while I drive."

"Alright."


	10. Chapter 10

"Wait, Norway, where are you going?"

He proceeded to grab the small suitcase he had packed. "Ella, I said I had to go see what's with all the creatures. It's unlike them to hurt me, there has to be something wrong. Besides, I thought you'd still be asleep by the time I left. Why are you up so early?"

I let out a quick yawn. "I don't know, I just am. Why can't I go with you?"

He sighed. "Please, after yesterday, until I find out what is going on, you aren't going within distance of a creature. Go back to sleep, Iceland should be here in an hour."

If he was gone, I could run a quick errand before Iceland got here. "Fine, but don't get hurt. I'm going to sleep." I pulled him into a loose hug, then turned and headed towards my room. From my bedroom I watched as he got into the car, tossed his bag in the passenger's seat and drove off. Right as his car left the driveway, I headed back downstairs. I slipped on a pair of boots and walked out the back door. Hopefully she was there.

When I reached the forest, I hesitated. What if the Nymphs took a turn for the worst as well? They're everywhere, I couldn't lose them if I tried in there, but I had to talk to her. I didn't even know where the huldra lived in here, but I didn't care. If Norway wouldn't let me investigate this situation with him, I was forced to create my own. After all, I have my sources.

Without a thought, I began running. To where, I hadn't any ideas, but I kept my eyes peeled for a tail and my ears open for mischievous giggling. I made sure not to concentrate on anything in particular, for obvious reasons. Even at the sight of a Nymph, I may be swayed to turn back. Too late. This one was laying on the grass right in front of where I was going to step. I stopped, not wanting to step on the creature.

My heart was beating faster with each second. She was laying in the grass, swiping her hand back and forth against the moist blades. When she noticed I was staring, she turned back and looked at me. It was startling to see her smile with those razor sharp teeth, but none the less relieved that she didn't seem to be threatening.

Slowly, I walked away, making sure to return the smile and give a polite wave of the hand. She did the same, and I took my leave, running once more. I didn't feel as scared now, but then again, the only forest creatures I know are the huldra and the Nymphs. Who knows what else is out here. It wasn't too long before I saw a flick of a tail behind a tree. I stopped and sighed in relief. I called out to her, "Huldra, are you there?"

A small giggle came from the tree as she popped her head out. "Ah, it's the young apprentice!" She looked around and frowned, "The young apprentice is without her master? Where is Norway?"

"Out on some business. I came alone, and I don't have much time before his brother is home to keep an eye on me."

She put a hand up. "Stop there, unless you wish to see me unclothed."

I stopped, taking a step back. This I wouldn't question, I would rather not have her tail whipping me again. "Sorry."

She smiled. "See, you're manners are improving already! Now, what did you come here for?"

The very reason I came had almost been forgotten. I shook my head. I guess it was too early to think right. "Norway has gone out to see why all these creatures have been attacking us. I understood with before, since he hadn't quite been to terms with the leshy, but he said he had an agreement or something with the water creatures. Why did so many, besides Selma, try to hurt us?"

Her tail flicked out another time. She bit her lip and went back behind the tree. "Wait a second, let me put my dress on!"

"Yes, ma'am."

She walked out, this time with a long, dark red dress on. She smiled and twirled around. "What do you think. It is pretty, yes?"

It was, there was something about the color of the dress that fit perfectly with her hair. "I love it on you, it looks gorgeous."

She bowed, "Thank you. Now, about the water creatures. There seems to be an unbalance amongst the creatures, including me, as a whole. I'm not sure why, but some have taken a turn for the worst. They seem different as well, the more cheeky ones who only teased the humans have taken a more.. deadly manner. I'm not sure why, but it has affected some of the other huldra. I even had to fight one, which is unheard of. She was a weakling though, so her death was quick."

I nodded, trying to process this information. "So, they've gone evil?"

"No," She shook her head, "Not evil, they just seem different."

"Alright, so you know nothing else?"

"Not at all." She said.

I turned to leave. "Alright, thank you-"

"Wait! You do not expect me to help you without the favor being returned, do you?"

Oh, that's right, she loved to barter. "What is it you would like?"

"Hmm, let's see," She swayed side to side, then stopped, "Your name is Ella, yes?"

"Yes, that's correct." I said.

"Oh, what is in a name?"

I remembered something like that from Romeo and Juliet. Did she read such books? "Isn't that from a play?"

She nodded. "I heard some girls reciting this back a while ago. That was the only part that really stuck. So, Ella, could you do me the honor of giving me a name? I'm sick of being called 'The Huldra' or even just 'she,' I need a name!"

So she wanted a name, that was all. If she liked Romeo and Juliet, maybe she would prefer being called Juliet? No, that wasn't very creative, she didn't even look like a Juliet. Let's see, what was the name of the girl who Romeo had loved in the first place? Rosealinda? That's too long, maybe just Rose or Linda. Neither of those fit either. She laughed all the time, maybe I should just call her Giggles. No, that was the name for a dog, she wouldn't appreciate that.

She cleared her throat. "How long does it take to come up with a name?"

I jumped. "S- sorry. I was thinking. A mother sometimes takes months to come up with a name for a child. I'm just trying to find you one that fits."

She giggled. "Oh, carry on then."

Alright, what's that name of that one Norwegian movie. Not Trollhunter, the one about the Huldra. I bet she wouldn't get the reference. Thale? That sounded right, but it was pronounced Ta-lee. Maybe Thalia? Or possibly Tally? That sounded right, she should like that. "How about Tally?"

She perked up. "Tally? Do I look like a Tally?"

"Absolutely a Tally!" I said.

She bounced up and down. "Thank you, Ella! I am Tally, oh and make sure to tell Norway of my name!" With this, she skipped away, singing her name repeatedly. "Tally, Tally, Tally, Tally!"

I couldn't help but smile. A murderous creature getting this excited over a name was something to think about. It was late, I could tell. Hopefully Iceland was a bit late. I ran back as fast as I could, making sure to wave at any and every Nymph I saw.

I was too late. Though I had snuck into the back door, he was already there, waiting for me. He seemed tired and a bit annoyed. Raising a brow he questioned me. "Where have you been, miss? Didn't Norway tell you to stay inside until I got here?"

I gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, please. I was just outside, it's fine."

He shrugged. "Fine, fine. have you eaten yet?"

"No, Norway shooed me back to bed before I could."

"Well, sit down or something so I can cook." He said.

I sat down in a chair, watching Iceland. He looked over at me and looked back quickly. Grabbing pots and eggs, he began to get to work. He kept looking back every now and then. When the eggs were beginning to bubble, he sat down. "Don't take offense if the others seem a bit sour about you being here."

This confused me. They never seemed to be negative when I first came here, in fact, they acted as if they were glad it happened. Then again, I met them all once, and the last time I heard them they were arguing with Norway. "They don't like me?"

He shook his head wildly, "Don't say that! They're just worried about Norway."

"Why? He seemed perfectly fine albeit for the mythical creatures he has me talking too."

"That's the thing. About a month ago, he was doing some stupid spell. I heard he got it from England, anyways, he was out of it for a month. An entire month, and that's worse considering he isn't human like you. I mean, he looks human and he is, but he's a country and basically immortal. So, we were worried. When he finally woke up, he said he had an errand to run. We wouldn't let him, but he did so anyways. When he came back, he brought you. We didn't want to be rude or anything, so we played along like it was planned. Then Denmark chewed him out in the morning for it, followed by Sweden. Soon enough, all of us were yelling at him, and all he did was deny being in any sort of danger. So we left."

He kept his eyes on the table. I jumped up to go and stir around the eggs, which were almost done already. Why didn't Norway tell me this? He made it seem as if he spent that month I'd been having those nightmares looking for me. Iceland got up and grabbed two plates. I served the eggs and we sat back down.

I looked out the window and kept my eyes on one of the trees. I saw a small figure after a while, no doubt a dryade. I smiled at the thought of knowing it was there. Not many people knew, and I was lucky to be one of the few. Even after everything, even if I miss grandma or my parents, I never would regret this. I'd learned so much already, the only downside being the dangers I'd faced. I wouldn't worry, Norway was going to straighten everything out and it would be fine again.

"Hey, Ella, change of plans." Glancing at Iceland, I noticed he was holding his phone in his hand. He took another bite of his eggs. "Norway wants you to go to England's place tomorrow and Romania's the day after. Then you come back here and he'll be home either later that night or the morning after."

That seemed odd. "Why so suddenly?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, he's weird I guess. Make sure you pack your stuff tonight so you're ready in the morning."

I nodded and took another bite. Maybe I'd be able to learn more about the magical world if I visited them. I'm sure that was Norway's intentions. I'd miss being able to talk to Tally though, even if she was dangerous, as long as I was polite she was the same. It was cool to be friends with a huldra.

"Hey, Ella, do you have your stuff packed?"

"Yeah, I got that done a while ago."

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure, what do you guys have?"

He began to shuffle through their DVDs. "Most of this stuff is in our languages. Well, besides The Little Mermaid, I think that's in Denmark's room. He's obsessed with that movie, it's not even funny."

I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the tall Dane going crazy over a child's movie, but crazier things have happened. Maybe if I watched it I might not being afraid of open waters anymore. I've wanted to steer clear of it ever since the incident with Selma and the mermaids. "Hell yeah, let's watch The Little Mermaid."

"I've seen it a hundred times already, but fine. I guess a hundred and one won't kill me."

He ran upstairs to grab the movie while I grabbed some blankets and pillows and made a nest in the couch. I ran upstairs and got dressed while he popped some popcorn. After everything was finished and ready, he put the movie in and we sat down, fixing the blankets to where they were most comfortable.

By the time 'Under the Sea' was playing, I was already tired. My eyelids were heavy and I couldn't concentrate on the story. It was odd, considering I hadn't done anything. I looked at Iceland and smirked. He'd fallen asleep before me even. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do the same. I yawned and curled up in a ball. As soon as my eyes shut, I was out.


End file.
